Big News!

Welp fans there you have it!

Suck it: "A Baby Story"

There is not much I can remember in general, from what I had for breakfast to certain points in my childhood that I probably should remember but I just don't have the mental capacity for such fond memories; which is definitely sad..some of my friends remember their first day of Kindergarten...UM WHAT?!

I do in fact remember the day before and the day of when Drew came into our lives. And just when I am thinking about all the fun times we have had from that day forward, the horrors also come with them. I espeically recall them when I see "A Baby Story" on TLC. Oh the wonders of television...making a 6hr labor seem like 10 minutes of a woman laying in bed smiling, bleeping out all the curse words, or panning away from the father ready to pass out. How I wish I remembered it like that, so blissful, so cut and dry and to the point. Afterwards the woman wiping the one bead of sweat off her face and holding her brand new baby and smiling from ear to ear. The ones I especially like are the ones where the woman is adamant about getting an epidural and come to find out it's too late for it and she's gotta strap on a pair and deal with it, that's more reality I guess...

And let me back up, I had an EASY time..and by easy I mean no C-Section, got an epidural, and no problems with the little one. And let me tell you it still sucked. Like I wonder if I can do it again..I hear maybe the 2nd time is easier?! Here's the breakdown of my labor.

July 4th...everyone is out celebrating and lighting off M80's. I am at home, Matt is at work...I felt kinda crappy come late morning..had some contractions but the timing wasn't on so I took the dogs for a walk and laid on the couch pretty much all day feeling useless. I actually told Matt that day that I thought I was done working...that's how shitty I felt.

Midnight...having slept a few hours I woke up with more sharp contractions and started timing them. First ten minutes apart, then 8 and finally 5. I called the doc around 1am, he told me to wait as long as I could, walk around the house, take a shower etc. Try to relax and when I thought I was ready we could go to the hospital (because they thought I was still 5 days from my due date and I was full of shit).

3am I told Matt we need to go NOW! I was in a lot of pain and the contractions were lasting longer and were every 3-5min.We got to the hospital in about ten minutes and were admitted the smallest room ever for evaluation AND she made me lay flat on my back while she took my vitals and strapped the heart monitor to me and asked me a million questions. That KILLED my back.

4am I am at 1.5cm. WTF! The nurse tells me to start walking around and they will monitor me, if I don't dilate anymore I would have to go home.

4:15am-6am walking the halls with another lady, she is either in alot more pain then me or just expressing it alot more than I am, walking feels good, I grab a handrail when a contraction comes and we are all good in the hood.

6am they check me, I am at a 2, they debate on sending me home, I walk one more lap my mucus plug drops (I thought it was Drew..haha) they check me to make sure he's good and he is. I walk another lap and my water breaks which was like 20 gallons of water I swear, I run to the bathroom embarrassed and tell Matt to get a nurse. She checks to make sure it isn't amniotic fluid and they finally admit me. They again force me to lie on my back which is causing me IMMENSE pain. Back labor is finally here. I grab the wastebasket thinking I'm going to lose whatever is in my system from yesterday but I don't, I just feel like shit. I told Matt next time to get my ass up and get off my back!

7am the nurse asks if I want any meds, I take local...local is putting me to sleep in between contractions, it's awful, I am having weird psycho dreams within a 2 minute time period and it's doing nothing for the pain. Why am I on my back...

7am-10am I don't fricken remember I was in so much pain...my parents came in to coach me and were asking me questions I just sat there with my eyes closed and breathing (when I am in pain I am silent which I am sure the nurses appreciated)

10am I can't take it anymore give me the fricken epidural! A nurse comes in to "empty out my bladder" with a catheter...really? can't I just go to the bathroom?! 2 people come in to give it to me and seem to be having a difficult time...I can't really recall I just remember Matt asking them if they were almost done..turns out I have a mild form of scoliosis and they had poked me like 6 times to find the right spot.

11am-12pm I am still in pain but it's a little better w/ the epidural, little did I know I could ask for more..I just thought I was supposed to feel some things! Silly me.

12pm-3pm Pushing...pushing...pushing..passing out in between pushing..

3pm Doc comes in and decides I need an episiotomy...Oh REALLY is that why he isn't coming out?! Jesus I just pushed for 3hrs for what?! I feel the anesthetic she shoots up my hoohah, makes the snip and out comes Drew! I immediately burst into tears...partly from relief that the marathon is over and partly because my little boy is here! I feel her stitch me up and working on getting my placenta out. Finally when that is over they take my catheter out and stuff me full of gauze which is awesome!

Come to find out my epidural was either in the wrong spot or I didn't have enough considering I pretty much still felt everything it just took away some of my back labor which I could have done if I would have just gotten out of that damn bed! Oh well you live and you learn and like I said at least I didn't have a C-section and Drew was 100% well! Well except for his conehead for a few weeks :)

Tell me your stories and one could end up on here!
~Candace

Store Grand Opening!

Thank you all for the support during the Presale! We are officially open for Biz!

I am kicking it off with our Halloween bib for only $8.00 (normally 10.00) 

Also we will be taking online polls on our Facebook page for the upcoming fabric choices to choose from, so make sure you follow us there!

Thanks again everyone!

www.drewbearscloset.com

#drewbearscloset

#halloweenbib

PRESALE going on now til Friday

Hey all! Although my store doesn't officially open until October 1st I decided to have a Presale since I had some people contact me already for orders. Visit my site and use coupon code PRESALE at checkout to save 20% off your order! Halloween bibs will ship immediately! Thanks everyone for your support!

www.drewbearscloset.com 

Store Scheduled to open- Oct. 1st!

Wish me luck I've got some finishing touch-ups on the website and my products and then we will be live!!
I will have some Halloween bibs premade so those will be ready to ship Immediately for the holiday! Only limited supply available so get your orders in!
Preview:

 And my latest project-Oil-Cloth, no need to wash, just wipe clean! Great for Toddlers and self-feeding babies!

YAY! Can't wait to start selling!
~Candace

Cling-on Mom

So I encountered a new breed of moms a few weeks ago...BEWARE of the Cling-on Mom!

Drew and I went to our local splashpad one hot Saturday afternoon, I was mentally preparing myself for a buttload of little screaming kids along w/ a bunch of parents not paying any attention to their kids....well was I wrong!

There was only 1 other kid and 1 parent...Holy crap! Where was everyone at...well then I figured it out, they must have some kind of Mom Call-Tree that they have in place and when this particular parent is on the field they let everyone know to stay away!

As SOON as we walk up, I didn't even have time to set down my 20lb diaper bag, she was on to me..."OH HI!"...not expecting any sort of communication I had to quickly clear the frog out of my throat and think of something to say.

She proceeded to tell me EVERY FRICKEN DETAIL of her life..Oh and her daughters life...who is 3. So much to say about someone who has only been on this planet for 3 years. I surprisingly didn't have to say much because she just went on and on and in between all her fears of BPA plastics and her child I am trying to make sure mine doesn't kill himself on the jungle gym.

Mental Note: 3 years out of work might be TOO long...

I am exhausted just thinking back on this day...needless to say as soon as Drew showed any sign of fatigue I grabbed our shit and hauled ass outta there!

PLEASE DON'T LET ME BE LIKE THAT! I just kept chanting on the way home...

So anywho thought I would share that quick tidbit in between my countless hours cutting and sewing fabric...have a great week everyone!

~Candace

A glimpse....

Things to never say about your child

We all have those proud moments where you think things are getting easier, or your childs' accomplishments are above standard but I am warning you...Don't ever say them outloud! As soon as you put the period at the end of that sentence that shit flies out the window and your child is no longer sleeping through the night, or saying "mama" etc. Other things we think are great accomplishments end up biting us in the ass later on in life when we realize those accomplishments have now made our lives harder.

Here's my top ten of things to NEVER say outloud, shit don't even think about them or write about them or anything!

1. My son/daughter just started sleeping through the night!
You might want to leave town after announcing this. And leave your child at home....they will no longer sleep through the night anymore, or ever again after this one!
2. My son/daughter can now sit up on their own!
Now it's a constant struggle of laying them down while they want to sit up, bottles become increasing difficult to give along with obv sitting up in their crib when they are supposed to be laying down/sleeping.
3. My son/daughter only like healthy food!
Cue the Mac n Cheese (only the highlighter yellow one will do) cookies, cupcakes, juice and fries. Your child will no longer just eat blueberries and oatmeal for breakfast...what were YOU thinking!
4. My son/daughter can throw a ball!
Start practicing your ducking abilities and hiding everything that is heavy and would impale you while being thrown at your head. This is fun isn't it?!
5. My son/daughter has NEVER had a diaper rash thank god!
Don't be so thankful yet, in fact proceed straight to Target, get about 2-3 tubes of diaper rash cream, do not pass GO and do not collect $200.
6. My son/daughter can walk!
With walking comes running which comes chasing and ends in you being freaking tired all day every day...let them crawl as long as possible.
7. I hope my child gets some teeth soon!
No you don't, holy hell teething is the Devils' younger son who wants to haunt your dreams. And who cares if they have teeth, they will learn how to eat EVERYTHING without them so enjoy it as much as possible.
8. My child just falls alseep in the car.
Yes when they are young they do or did because now that you said it! But then there comes a point when they get bored and are throwing that heavy ass Vtech toy at your head while you are on the highway. Now I can't even eat in peace in my car cuz I swear my son can smell the food.
9. I'm not feeding my kid any solid food until 6months.
That's totally fine, it's your prerogative...however if at 3-4 months old your kid won't leave your plate of food alone I have a feeling you will change your mind.
10. I'm not sure if I'm going to vaccinate my child.
First off don't ever say this outloud...Esp around other moms or get ready for a throw down. 1st off us moms FREAK out the first time our kid gets sick..even if it's a cold..don't even talk about a child getting Measles or Rubella..it's not good. Yes there are risks as with anything, do your research, keep your opinions to yourself, and keep your un-vaccinated child out of my doctors office ;)

That's it, that's my top 10. Am I missing any??

What Inspires You??

I am so grateful for my fanbase and I usually get the question of "How did you get going on your blog" or "How do you come up with ideas" on a weekly basis. Which is awesome, I think it means I am doing something right...With that being said I always encourage everyone to start a blog if they have something to say, or enjoy writing, or enjoy laughing, whatever it may be. I did it, so can you.

Before starting my blog and before really thinking about doing anything else in life I needed a little kick in the arse. Enter Drewbear, for the first time in my life he makes me want to do things that truly make me happy, not just a 9-5'r to pay the bills. I feel like my time away from him needs to count, make a difference, make me happy, in order for me to allow that time apart for him. And believe me time apart is a good thing. But time apart AND a shitty job that I cannot stand together are NOT a good thing.

And I wouldn't/couldn't even THINK about branching out if I didn't have so many people to look up to. And cheerleaders by my side saying "yes you CAN do it". Along with my husband for shaking his head that I am crazy but ultimately being supportive which is what matters because I know I am crazy.

The person who most inspires me is my Aunt Dana, she has come so far, with starting out a blog about saving on planning an awesome wedding which transitioned into a very popular website known as www.brokeassbride.com and THEN asked to write a book about planning a wedding on a budget by Random House! How amazing is THIS?!

So people if you are as crazy as I am, let people inspire you to be a better person, to eat better, to live better, to find a better job, whatever floats your boat or whatever you need some inspiring for because if my Aunt or I can do it so can you. We can't get the time back with our little ones and I'd much rather be living in a shack spending time with Drewbear then financially strapped to a job because we want nice things. I am taking a huge leap starting an online store but I really hope I will have that same support as I do now and I am sure I will. Have a great rest of your week everyone!
~Candace

Big News!! Big News!!

So I bet when you all clicked onto this post you were thinking I was going to announce that I was pregnant..HAHA you silly birds..I mean it could happen that fast but I certainly wouldn't announce it to the world yet! But I do have some other very exciting news to share, after much deliberation and sleepless nights...god forbid my brain turn off ever! I have decided to launch a website offering for purchase Handmade Vintage Fabric Bibs and also Oil-Cloth Bibs...which if you don't know already oil-cloth is pretty much the best thing to happen to messy toddlers since Diapers...well OK I'm exaggerating a little!

Essentially you don't have to wash Oil-cloth EVER, you wipe it with a damp rag and that is it, Perfect for babies starting to eat foods and all things solid and messy or even when you go out to eat and don't have a tray for the food that doesn't end up in the little ones mouth, at least this one can catch all that and it doesn't wind up in your toddlers lap..and speaking of laps I will also have some extra-long bad boys on there for the massive messy eaters or if you have a hook-on highchair like I do there is this great little gap where all the food lands on Drews' lap at the end of a meal. AWESOME.

And the vintage fabric bibs...WELL HELLO how awesome is vintage fabric?! I mean how many of the "I love Mommy" shitty Carters bibs can one have..especially when the velcro starts to give out around 6months. These are perfect for babes still on the bottle or are prone to spitups and all things liquid. These will also make really awesome hand-me downs or even to put into a collage with their lock of hair or any other creepy shit that ends up in those things.

ALL THAT BEING SAID. I hope to have this things up and running before Christmas because I know they would be really great gifts for some new moms!

MORE EXCITING NEWS. I will also have some Guest Posts on here, other moms weighing in on some important topics...also filling in the gap for me being busy with other things (HELLO WEBSITE) so I don't leave you all in the dark.

Welp that's it for now! As soon as it live you will be the first to know and check it out. Thanks for all your support!
~Candace

No more getting out of bed to fetch lost binkies!!

Welp folks I hope you will still read my blog once I become a Millionaire!! Because I have come up with such a solution that only the Zombie-like parents can appreciate oh so much!

I was sooo sick of getting out of bed to retrieve my sons' lost binky when he realized in the middle of the night that it was gone. I have tried a few methods, hiding some other ones around his bed, putting them on the top rail, etc and nothing was working, he was straight up too lazy to look that far for it!

Then POW I had an idea, what if I could somehow attach the binkies at his level in the crib and show him where they were being held a few times so maybe he would be able to get them himself in the middle of the night.

Well I can't believe it fricken worked! I made a prototype of the idea in my head, attached it to his crib, showed him a few times where it was and just like clock-work in the middle of the night I caught him on the nanny cam going over to the strip with the binkies, taking one off and putting it into his mouth and going back to sleep!

ANYTHING to make one less trip to his room is worth the world to me! I have since then taken pictures and submitted my idea on Quirky where "inventors" go to submit ideas and hopefully end up with a sell-able product that you created! I am in stage one which means there isn't anything like it on the market and it's a "good" idea...I need as many votes or likes as possible. 

Here's some pics to show you what I made:

And that's an actual picture of Drew getting the binkies off the strip! Oh happy day, even if I am not famous at least I don't have to get out of bed for a stupid binky!

You can also go to Quirky's site to view and give me a thumbs up! Click Here to Vote

Pin me if you think this is a good idea, I appreciate it!

~Candace
#binkyfinder #Quirky

My Invention is Live on Quirky! #BinkyFinder

Hi Fans! I came up with something that every mom can appreciate, something that would stop your trips to your little ones room in the middle of the night for lost binkies...YES Check it out, any feedback is appreciated, I only have 7 days to make it to the next round! Check it out here

~Candace

1st year-Post Baby: My Weightloss Journey

Whew this past year has been a doozy! Along with being utterly exhausting about 85% of the time it has been the most fun, the most exciting, the most stressful time of my life and I have loved (almost) every minute of it.
Now let's talk about the fun stuff...weightloss. You know it really sucks to be a new mom and have to worry about what we look like in an outfit, or about buying new clothes to accomodate that "new" body we have been granted all while taking care of a little person who needs your attention pretty much 90% of the day.

I have always tried to be "active" whether that is walking the dogs when I get home from work, walking on my lunch break, bike rides, or playing soccer (in my younger days). And popping out a baby didn't have any effect on my wishes to fit into my clothes by 4 weeks but did have an effect on the physical ability of fitting into my clothes. And to cut to the chase I did not.

I gained a little more than 45lbs during my pregnancy (I quit looking at the scale the last few weeks in disgust) and especially because at the end you just can't help the weight coming on, even eating carrot sticks for every meal (which I don't recommend) that weight is coming on, so hold on tight!

After having Drewbear I dropped 20lbs at the hospital and was dancing in my gown..Just kidding there was no dancing for awhile due to the aftermath.

I came home to a ripe old number of 180. Jesus, that's ALMOST 200! That's still 35lbs more than I want to be and 30lbs MORE than my highest weight before getting pregnant. Jimminey Christmas kill me now. As all of us do I was busy googling "Post-baby body workouts" pretty much on the way home from the hospital...What am I going to do, I can't see anyone like this, I still had a belly for god sakes!

Hey Listen up all you ladies who haven't gotten pregnant yet. You WILL still have a belly when you leave the hospital, you WILL still look pregnant 2 MONTHS AFTER giving birth. That is totally normal! Even if you drop weight faster than me dropping Drew off at the nanny's (just kidding, love you!) your skin and all your insides take awhile to return to their normal positions. And if I read one more headline that says "breastfeeding burns 500 calories a day" I will go ballistic, yea go ahead and tell that to someone who cannot breastfeed, assholes!

So for the first few months I tried desperately to lose weight and it was easy not to eat since I was busy with someone who needed my attention 100% of the time, but nothing was doing it. Still by the time he was 7mo old I was only down to 172 and was feeling very sorry myself, I mean what's a girl got to do?! I was going on bike rides with him, stroller jogs, started eating better because he grew more independant ETC!

I decided to join my friends on a Dietbet which is fun if you haven't tried it; put money, betting and weightloss together and you know you got a good time! I ended up getting past my 170lb threshold and getting down to 168lbs. I was ecstatic, the 160s! YES I AM CLOSE.

Over the last 4 months I have lost another 5lbs and am down to 163 which is only 3lbs away from my heaviest weight before getting pregnant and 8lbs away from my normal weight!!

This has been a very long journey for me since I am not used to having to shed a massive amount of weight, normally when I go a little crazy on the icecream I chill it out to bring me back down and that is it. I am the first one to say if your body isn't ready it isn't going to happen, and for me my body wasn't really ready to lose weight until about 8months after giving birth.

Don't give up, and when you feel bad for yourself ask your husband how you look and he better say "you look FANTASTIC, KEEP GOING!" and if he doesn't give me his damn number so I can bitch-slap him, because that is what kept me going this whole time. Get a support group, if you don't have one contact me and I'll support you because I know how hard it is. It WILL happen!

1st Birthday Parrrrrtayy!

Welp the craziness has ensued and we are finally getting back to our normal, boring routine post-party.

I think I did a pretty good job if I don't say so myself! And my parents helped out tremendously by hosting it at their house so we could have more room.

We went with Mickey Mouse theme since that's the only show Drew really will watch for longer than 1 minute. I ordered balloons (because babies/kids love balloons DUH) and set up a bunch of toddler stuff since we were expecting about 10! And happy kids=happy parents. Well and alcohol of course.

Here's some of the ideas I used thanks to Pinterest.
We did a sensory pool complete w/ spaghetti and noodles that I dyed red..the kids were like "what is this!" That's the point!

Also did some DIY Chalk paint and put it in Restaurant squeeze bottles (less mess).

I also had some construction paper and big fatty crayons.

At each "station" I put down a big quilt so the kids could sit down and play with the items. I also filled up Drews old bathtub which was a huge rubber ducky where I put some juiceboxes in it so they could reach it. And Drew ended up getting in that by the end of the party because he thought it was bath time?

Along with the "adult" food I put in squeeze packets of applesauce and bags of goldfish crackers for the kiddies.
I made these little dudes for the centerpieces which hopefully I can sell now since I have no use for them, and I glued actual buttons on the pots because it looked nicer :)

I was so proud of Drew since he was up from 11:15am until 5:30pm without a nap! You go Drew! He had the best time ever seeing everyone and all the kids, it was a HIT!

Next year won't be this elaborate but you have to go big for the 1st birthday...because Yah he is still alive!!

My Generation: Shit for Free

The wonderful bonuses of the Internets...Posting stuff you need or want to sell at the drop of a hat, no longer having to wait for that yearly garage sale where you have to go through and price all your shit, wait for a nice day, set up all your shit, sit outside w/ your shit all day, and odds are; pack up most of your shit that didn't sell. Man I'm tired just thinking about it.

Well we all know I am in for a bargain, especially when it comes to children's stuff because they grow out of it so quickly, use it a few times and get bored with it and to top it all off anything that is tied to a kid in any way is always like 20% more $$...just because the world is an evil place.

I am frugal, I am a minimalist, Matt is always getting mad at me for throwing stuff out or selling stuff..I HATE STUFF. Not to mention going from a 2500 sq. ft. house to a 1400 sq. ft. house you have to give up some shit that you haven't even touched in years!

I am ITCHING to sell baby stuff, but I need to hold my horses. Even if I think I don't need 20 Newborn onesies I probably will curse myself if I sell any and the next baby ends up having 20 diaper blowouts.

So I joined a few Facebook sale pages that cater to kids stuff so at least I can get some toys for maybe half the price since he is just going to get sick of them any way or even worse not even like it! Also I can prepare for the future (Toddler bed in the garage) haha!

The thing that I am most noticing about these pages is people In Search Of (ISO) stuff. It always starts off like "ISO cake decorator to make a Frozen cake for my daughters blah blah birthday" And ALWAYS ends in "for a reasonable price". This is the problem with my Generation, we have Walmarts, we have Dollar Stores, we have so many people/companies doing the same thing that they are willing to low-ball each other to get the job. And then we have the "customers" who don't really care about quality, they only care about price.

Yes you can buy decorations at the Dollar Store..they will also end up almost immediately in a Landfill since they are so crappy and cheap they might not even MAKE it to the party, or you open it up and it's like the smallest thing ever; you wonder why the HELL did you pay any amount of money for it!

I understand people don't have money, but that's not it, people don't want to SPEND money. We sort of have been programmed that why should we spend this amount of money when I can go here and get something for half that price, no one really thinks twice about what they are getting for their money. That's my problem, you have all this money and you want to spend $20 on a fondant Frozen cake...Like Really?! And whoever is making this $20 Fondant cake...are they really going to do the job that you want them to do or are you going to be pissed when you pick it up and they spelled Frozen wrong?!

People, you can't expect something for nothing, you can't expect a quality product to have a cheap price tag, the cheap price tags are for the cheap shit! If you only have $20 bucks to spend on a cake go to Walmart, and stop begging people on the Sale pages to do it for nothing. Or don't expect you can get something grand for your $20.

I am trying to be better about this, I have always despised Walmart but having Drew 95% of the time I need to get shopping done I am sometimes forced to go there so I don't have to go to 3 other places. Especially for his bday party which I will try to post about this week. This summer has been crazy with vacations, parties, friends, families, babies...I apologize! Feel free to contact me on topics you want me to write about, sometimes I get writers block and then I am in the shower going through my Master List of all I need to do that day and think " I should blog about that!"  haha

Here's little man w/ his new haircut, I will not show you the back ;)

1st Year Blues...

Well if someone hasn't told you already you will hear this over and over again "Time Flies!" And it's true, how much you don't believe it, especially those nights when your Lovely is up every 2 hours it does. All of a sudden they are 4 months old, then 6, then 1 year and besides the bags underneath your eyes, your nails, toes, and hair that need to be "did" and that flappy lower belly you feel like you did not know where the time went. Weren't you JUST pregnant? Weren't we JUST looking at baby stuff for the registry? Didn't we JUST get married? That is probably all true but whether you like it or not everyone just keeps getting older including you.

Now instead of loathing your friends who still don't have kids (maybe you aren't?) You will start reminiscing on all the great things that have happened in that last year. Well at least I am anyway, I started planning Drew's 1yr Bday party and starting crying at the same time..He ALREADY doesn't want to snuggle as often and next week he will probably ALREADY be embarrassed of me in front of his friends! So I sit in my corner and have a ball-a-thon while Matt laughs at me..Whatever....Where's a Mousekatool when you need one!

And along with alot of my friends we start thinking about building our family...should we give it a go or should we just say enough abuse is enough? :) I am a "let's get it over with" girl and Matt is a "let's wait and see" guy. Soooo we have been talking about adding on or not. Well mostly it's been me trying to convince him and him shooting me down for 6months. BUT I am happy to say I have finally convinced him (I'll take the credit) or something convinced him to give it a go. So we will see if we are blessed w/ some more luck of being parents again. Although I am scared shitless I kind of have a little knack for it this time around (hopefully). And maybe I will even try to relax a little during the first few weeks...WHO AM I KIDDING. I will probably just hire a housekeeper and call it even :)

It's going to be a rough few years but that's ok, when the kids get a little older we will have more freedom to catch a movie or get dinner and everything will be alright...well that's what I keep telling Matt anyway :)

~Candace
#1styearblues #baby#2 #timeflies

DIY Week-Laundry Detergent and Diaper Rash Cream!

I know how excited everyone is over DIY stuff especially my Stay-at-home-mamas! So this week I am compiling some shiznat I have made in the last few weeks so I can tell you the pros and cons of it all!

First was Laundry Detergent: I can't tell you how much my blood boils when I have to spend $$ on soap to clean my clothes with, and not like a little $$ but ALOT of $$, then top it off with the huge jugs that the stuff comes in it's ridic. And I know they make the super-concentrated crap but we do SOO much laundry since having a little one and I am not buying one every week, that is what Costco is for.

Looked at a few sites, I was looking for something easy but yet will do the job esp with dirty food bibs and my Husbands extremely smelly socks that I work next to everyday :)

Found this one on a site called DIY Natural LINK He's got some good stuff on here, I esp liked that he made a powder soap, since Liquid is kind of the same cost-wise and Powder I feel is less messy. I totally forgot that there is a health foods store right down the street from me and I went to Walmart to find a Laundry Bar but you can find them at Specialty Foods stores if you have one close by. I could only find the Omega Zote bars so I tripled this recipe and it made a Gallon of Detergent. (I spent a little under $10 for all of it and still have some borax and washing soda left and 1 zote bar) But Each batch below makes 32 ounces or 32-64 Loads of laundry depending on how many Tbsp you use for soiled clothes. Now QUICK, Gather your Ingredients!

• 1 bar (or 4.5 ounces) of shaved bar soap (a homemade laundry bar, Dr. Bronner’s, Ivory, ZOTE, or Fels-Naptha)
• 1 cup of borax
• 1 cup of washing soda

Shave your soap just using a cheese grater, after grated just mix in the other powders. If you want a finer powder you can pop it into your Food Processor which I was Demanded NOT TO by my Husband :)

Now just pop a Handy Dandy Tablespoon scoop and you got it. Normal loads you can just use 1Tbsp, for soiled use 2-3Tbsp. No residue on clothes, gets out stains and smells just clean, not perfumy.

Total Cost-Under $10 for 192 Loads of laundry...BEAT THAT And No plastic jugs to end up in landfills

Now onto Diaper Rash cream, using Cloth Diapers it is a known fact that Diaper Rash Creams are a NO-NO! A cloth diaper fairy will come to your house and smack you on the head if she catches you! No for real, they just build up on the diapers so that's the reason. And Drew is constantly battling rashes from food allergies (good ole bananas that I keep trying) and teething which is GRAND! Here's the one I found that I am trying! You can find the complete article HERE

And again I found alot of these ingredients at the Specialty food store, the Coconut Oil they had a giant jug of it at Costco so I got that there, the rest of the items I spent $16 on and will have enough Vegetable Glycerin for a lifetime along w/ Cononut Oil and another time of beeswax. (I doubled this recipe)
Now Get your Ingredients!!

Each Batch

• 1/2 C. Shea Butter (stay away from Golden if you can)
• 1/4 C. Coconut Oil
• 1 Tbsp. Beeswax
• 2 Tbsp. Vegetable Glycerin

Melt first 3 ingredients in Saucepan, when incorporated take off heat and add Vegetable Glycerin, then whip it up using a handmixer like forever...it will get creamy I promise! And pour into jars, it will harden a little when it cools and a little goes a long way.

Finished Product:

Bonus****I used babyfood jars for the diaper rash cream and old Wedding Candy Bar jars for the Detergent!

Total Cost-I would say $10 for 16.74oz. Since I have so much of the other stuff leftover. AND it's way better than your baby absorbing Zinc Oxide into it's skin :)

I hope this motivated you to use your brains and what Mother Earth has provided us for alternate solutions to everyday convenient but not always the best products for your family.

Cheers!

Is your water safe for Baby?

When I think about how long I have been drinking tap water I honestly cannot remember when it first started. And when I brought Drew home the thought didn't even cross my mind that maybe our water has too many contaminants for his little belly to digest right off the bat.

Truthfully since breastfeeding was a no-go the first bottle I made him was w/ Tap water (where was that in the baby books) And I found out pretty quickly that he couldn't handle it as he vomited it back up shortly after.

Not sure where Matt was at the time but I texted him asking "is there some sort of special baby water I'm supposed to be giving him"...he's still alive tho so that's good. When do I ever go down the water aisle at the grocery store? Hmmm we have a filter on our fridge like most of the population so NEVER. So I never saw the baby water or maybe just wasn't paying attention.

I know bad mom right?! After buying jug after jug of this "special water" I looked into other sources, could I just use the fridge filtered water? I was scared. Then one day I came across this bad boy and all my prayers were answered.

No more buying jugs and jugs and filling up the landfill w/ their plastic holyness. And no more contaminating my little one. Or being afraid I was going to.

 And it wasn't hella expensive either, you just screw it on to your faucet and Viola! Mine lasts for a good few months with making bottles after bottles so I feel like the cost is low since I was buying about 4 jugs of baby water a week, that's $1 on sale a jug, $16 a month, this baby costs $30 which actually there is one on Clearance right now at Babies R Us for $17.48, So in 1 month you make up the cost and you are saving some precious seal from getting it's snout caught in one of the jugs, well that's what I like to think anyways :)

**knock knock** Your Groceries are here!

So if you knew me at all you would know that I LOVE to try new things...well aside from like Drugs or weird food stuff..that's why I cannot go shopping because anything on the endcap that is "New and Improved" gets me every time!

I used to love grocery shopping and partly because I LOVE to cook. I would make up my list while perusing recipes and decide what our meals would be for the week...Well that was all fine and dandy until I had a small child. Now getting together a meal plan is so half-assed I'm embarrassed by it and weekly shopping trips seem nonexistent. Now I am running in to get essentials and out of there so we can eat or it's time for a nap....not for me..sad face.

But it stinks because the days that I have extra time to throw a meal together we don't have any food! What's a gal to do?!

One day while taking Drew for a walk I saw a Peapod truck go by...they deliver groceries if you have been living under a rock. And a lightbulb went off, I had to try it! I looked up their website and prices and delivery charges and they were not that bad at all! Since I'm in the grocery store so often I know what items cost so that helped my research. You can order how much or little you want, and you have until midnight the previous night to make any changes. O Crap I forgot....yup just log into the app on your phone or the website and add away!

The items were normal, name brands and sizes and came nicely packed, I was actually home so the dude unpacked it all and handed me the bags! Otherwise you can have them leave it on your front step, back door, whatever and it comes in boxes w/ cooler packs so your shizz stays oh so fresh!

I highly recommend this for someone who may be already in front of a computer and doesn't have the time or energy to physically go to the store. Also if you are already looking at recipes online you can add the items right there to your cart.

I hear they have locations where you can just order all your food and pick it up and it's ready to go. I have yet to see where or try those out but that would be a good option too! Especially if you are picking up your child from Grandma/Grandpa's and need to get some food.

#peapod #groceries

Relaxxxxx.it's just a BABY!

Ha! I love it when people tell me that. Ummm hello I didn't take any classes in school to prepare me for this, in fact all of the classes in school just tell you to NOT have sex or Get Pregnant....EVER. I am here to tell you however that please don't get so caught up in your day-to-day lives that you miss out on the little things.

The first 8 weeks with my little man I had NO IDEA what I was doing..which is pretty typical I hear since while you are at the hospital the nurses are changing him and tell you when to feed him and ordering your food; that when you get home you are like "where's my help?!".

I seriously struggled with breastfeeding, I ABSOLUTELY HATED IT! I did not feel any sort of bond, I didn't feel like I was loving him enough...I felt like all I did was pump, feed, sleep over and over again. I never looked at him longingly as he drank my milk, I never enjoyed it or had that "feeling" that some moms claim to have. So on top of me hating it I was not producing enough for this little chunker. So on top of getting what I could out of me I had to add formula in there.

After 8 weeks I said ENOUGH! I am not enjoying this little miracle in my life whatsoever. I decided to go all on formula and give up pumping. Which was the BEST DECISION I have ever made. Not only did I have so much more energy for my little one, I didn't have to figure out a good time to pump in between his feedings, or if he woke up in the middle of me pumping and started crying...talk about unnecessary stressors! It was so great to make his bottles and be able to hold him while they heat up...not having to wash all the pumping equipment and spend time with him while he is up. I seriously felt like I was in jail and I was let free!

So any mom that is having a difficult time with it I don't say "DON'T GIVE UP" I say "DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY!" Formula has come such a long way and is totally fine if not better since Drew has milk sensitivities so he has been on Soy which would be extremely hard for me since I would have to give up all dairy to be able to breastfeed him. And No offense but seriously sometimes I only had time to grab a string cheese, or chug some milk to be able to function.

So please enjoy the little things and leave the big ones by the wayside, there is only so much in your control and every kid is different so what works on this one might not work for you. I highly recommend reaching out to your friends/family if they have kids around the same age and if not join a support group in your area because the baby books only tell so much and it's nice to hear other opinions or that your are doing a good job as a parent!

And those stupid papers you get at the Doctors office about the developmental stuff could drive you insane...Just be in the moment, Enjoy every little victory even if it's not on the those stupid papers. These are some of the ones I LOVED
1. bouncing on his knees reaching up for me
2. Waving
3. Blabbing
4. Grabbing the dogs face and chasing the dogs
5. Laughing
6. Smiling
7. Pointing where he wants to go while I hold him

Even if the TV is on, the dogs are barking, someone is ringing the doorbell and the tornado sirens are going off I am watching him, trying not to miss anything, enjoying him just sitting there looking at his books. Those are the things that keep me going, that make the sleepless nights so worth it. That keep me from getting down on my flabby belly and keep me wanting another one. Enjoy it because it goes by in a heartbeat and you never get this time back, and some people aren't able to get any of this so remember you are one lucky soul; having someone to call you "mama".

~Candace

Seriously I need more baby stuff??

Welp I kid you not I had to go out and buy another stroller...that makes 3 total for me and 1 for my parents. OK I know you are thinking What the F#$%@ is wrong with her?! Hear me out.

We decided to not go with the whole "travel system" when we were registering..frankly I was scared of it, it was so much money, there were so many parts, and so on. We went w/ the cheapy clicky frame that connects to the carseat. Easy peasy. And it was SUPER great, especially when he was little and sleeping all the damn time.

Fast forward a few months and he's like a caged animal in that thing, No he doesn't want to lay down..No he doesn't want to be strapped in...and NO he doesn't want to not be able to grab stuff. So this stroller has become more of a headache and less of a help.

Enter Jogging stroller....Gods great creation to Mom's everywhere. I straight up LOOOOUUUVER mine. It's a super soft ride so he's isn't feeling every crack in the road, also durable enough to go to pumpkin farms where everything isn't paved, and he can sit up in it and see everything, also has a weather shield so if it's cold or windy or rainy he doesn't feel the effects...I do..but he doesn't :)

However it's a little enormous...AND Heavy...like HOly shit I'm going to pee myself heavy...but it's supposed to be so I understand, it folds up reasonably so considering how big it is so it works for the most part...

Recently since he's had such a problem with the carseat clicky stroller I have had to use the jogging stroller to run into a store real quick or just to have something to put him in while I'm looking for something in the garage and that's where the problem lies. For little shops it's a little big to be pushing that thing around so I need something smaller but has more "freedom" for little man.

Well umbrella strollers are everywhere and the cheaper they are the shittier they are...well duh. I wanted something that wasn't $20 because the kid is a maniac and will probably like bend the steel or something, but I also didn't want to spend $100-200 on one either. Yes they make em for $200! And they are super sweet but with me staying home I feel as though I can use that $$ to something better...like a pair of shoes..for me...LOL Who am I kidding?

Convenietly the stores only carry either the $20 or the $140 and beyond strollers so I had to hunt online and there is where I found this little beauty. Mine is lime green if you wanted to know :)

For $80-Free shipping might I add. It folds up in two quick motions, has a canopy, a shoulder strap for carrying, a 5-point harness, little storage area in the bottom, and comes with a bag if you need to go through airport security or something. And it handles really well, o and also reclines so if for some ODD fricken reason Drew actually naps in a stroller, which he hasn't done for months he will be able to..HA! Yea right.

So I am HOPING this is the last major baby item I will need since I am running out of space in my house...like for real..

~Candace

#chiccostroller #umbrellastroller #joggingstroller

A Week Into Cloth

It has officially been a week since I have switched to cloth diapers and I have to say I feel pretty good about it! Not only has my garbage not been overflowing w/ stinky smelly diapers but I am also digging not running to the store to buy another box of disposables to fill a landfill.

It has been an adjustment..to say the least. I have found out really quickly what I need and how much I need to get us through a few days so I am not doing laundry every day.

I unknowingly bought a bag of inserts not the brand of diapers we were using to try and realized they sucked..so now since I cannot return them I will use them as a additional night-time soaker solution..and I have to admit I have not been using them at night...because I am scared..ya know that feeling when they just fall asleep and you step on a toy while exiting their room and are freaking praying they will still sleep?! Yah that's how I feel...he JUST started sleeping again through the night...What was going on last week?! Well you probably noticed I didn't blog at all..Yah Mommy was tired. WHO KNOWS. Always something with this kid.

I also got a great tip from a friend on a store in Orland called Cutie Poops and Bottoms and they sell all cloth diaper shenanigans and also have classes! How cool is that a class that can tell you how to spray the poop off the diaper before putting it in your washing machine! Also they have gently used diapers...which maybe you are grossed out BUT this is a great way to try a brand before you buy considering how expensive they are to have one not work out. They also answer all your questions, and have stuff for diaper rash that is safe with cloth diapers.

Today is the first day my parents are tackling the cloth diaper task so we will see how they do..they will probably use up every last diaper, insert I gave them since they are obsessed w/ him being dry all day long..well when you drink 4-8oz bottles and have water in between it's a little hard!

And I have to thank all my cloth-diapering-friends who answered every text I had when I first started since I had no idea :)
Happy Diapering!
~Candace
Follow me on Twitter @cantalope319

#clothdiaper #cutiepoops

Changes and more Changes!

I'm sure my husband is sick of me coming up with new and exciting things for us to do/try but hey I am at home all day w/ a little dude and sometimes my mind just wanders!

I recently averaged out how much we spend on diapers and figured out that on average we spend $800/yr not including nighttime diapers which are more and wipes and diaper pail liners. Hmmm that seems like a lot right? So I decided to do some research on reusable diapers..YUCK I know that's what you are thinking...but $800 that just fills up my garbage can and sits in a landfill, I think I can find a few other things to do with that money.

After a few hours online, talking to a few cloth-diapering friends and general advice I decided that we should have started this sooner! With me being at home I usually do 2 loads of Drew's laundry a week, so I figured lets add 2 more in that for a total of 4 loads per week..we have a very energy-efficient washer/dryer and also it has a sanitation setting so I am not worried about the germ factor. Or the Energy factor.

Pricing it out it seems that for the 1st year we are potentially saving $500...since I am spending about $300 on all the reusable diapers, inserts, wet bag, and toilet sprayer. Damn I should have registered for this shit! Then the 2nd year which odds are he will still be in diapers we will save a little less than $800, although I really don't see our energy costs skyrocketing. Then of course if we decide on a 2nd child we will also use them for him/her and save.

The big issue is that again every baby is different...soooo since Drew is a massive Pee-r we really need some absorbent shiznit. Also I wanted a diaper to grow with him since he's already at the halfway point. I also didn't want to spend a million dollars per diaper since I really am hoping it will work out but again if it doesn't I have to be prepared for that. I found BumGenius 4.0 diapers, which I also had two referrals from other moms.

These diapers are actually about $18/each which is on the low-end for a diaper that goes from Newborn to 35lbs! The snaps are heavy duty, the colors and feel of the diaper are nice and the inserts are SUPER absorbent, you actually snap the inserts also (according to size of baby) so it's like a double insert on the one end and I put that where his little wiener is since that's where the pee comes out of..DUH! I also tried a Gbaby insert and he peed right through that bad boy so I'm going to have to double up on those badboys.

I also haven't tried them at night because I'm nervous, he is already sleeping like crap lately..possibly teething AGAIN. So I really don't want to mess with it. But I will keep you posted.

So I had about a million questions that I kept pestering my friends with...maybe you have them also? How many do I need in a day roughly, Do I change the cover every time or just the insert, Do I just throw the poopy's in a bag and into the washer,

Well I have some answers for ya...first off they are a little bulky so the only complaint is that for girls it's kind of hard to fit in with skinny jeans or tight pants...fyi. Also you do not change the cover every time just for poops, the pees you just change out the insert and put it back on and I was suprised how dry the cover actually is even with the insert being soaked so it makes sense. That being said you will need as many covers as your child poops. Breastfed babies poop very often so at least 5-6 I would say. The poopy's are fun, you get a diaper sprayer installed off of your toilet in your bathroom, when you get a poop you spray off the poop before putting the soiled diaper in a wet bag and flush the little turdies down. My one friend suggests actually installing a kitchen sprayer instead because they are better quality. You need to purchase a wet bag so you can throw your diapers/inserts in there on a daily basis, one that hangs off the door is probably the easiest option, and also laundry detergent made for the reusable diapers.

Read the care instructions on your diapers, mine said to wash w/ their detergent...of course...but once a month throw a cup of bleach in there. So no need to bleach every time :) Then you might want to think about wipes, they have a bunch of options for that too, they make spray that you can just spray and wipe w/ a dry cloth or they have a warmer where you make a solution and put the wipes in there, etc. I am going to stick to the disposables for now...baby steps ya know!

Next week I will update you on also trying Peapod for the first time and seeing if it puts my impulse-buys at bay :)

~Candace
#reusablediaper #bumgenius #clothdiaper

Date Night!

We finally got to have a night out..it's been at least a few months. And much needed! Sometimes I loathe the single life but then I remember you only tend to remember the good things about memories; which is pretty crappy. So when I think back when I was single I only think about: Spontaneous plans with my friends usually focused around drinking heavily, late night Taco Bell runs, driving to Chicago for a night out, meeting new people, going on dates, just driving around, and who could forget: Living at Home...haha

Truthfully before I met Matt I was living at home so I never really got to experience the "single and having my own dwelling" part of Sex and the City..LOL However the things I tend to forget are: the loneliness when there is nothing going on, spending way to much $$ on alcohol and food, working a shit-ass job and barely keeping up, having to answer to my parents, bad dates, wanting to get married, and wanting to move out and have a family.....

Ironic right?! Well the saying "the grass is always greener" isn't popular because it's wrong..AND this is what I want...I'm just in a weird funk right now..so a Date Night is exactly what I needed!

Time to do whatever we want and act like children..YAY!

So we dropped the boy off w/ grandma and grandpa and headed off for drinks, a little shop shop, dinner, and a movie...go BIG right?! I had so much fun...being able to eat and drink without someone staring me down and demanding a bite of EVERYTHING. Sidenote: I found out I can eat cottage cheese since he doesn't like it..YES! Also deciding on a whim what we want to do, not having to lug around our whole world in a giant duffel bag, not having any poopy diapers..yea it was pretty much paradise. AND since this was a sleepover visit I got to sleep in my own bed and not listen to the monitor. I slept like a fricken baby, well not my baby but whoever coined this phrase that had a sleeping baby?!

As much as I missed Drew and couldn't wait to pick him up on Sunday I feel like breaks are a necessary part of human nature. In fact I'm not sure that Duggar chick is real...I think she's a robot because I can't imagine having that many children and spending every waking minute with at least one of em! Holy Cannoli's.

Needless to say it was a blast and he didn't sleep pretty much at all at Grandma and Grandpa's...Poop. So we took alot of naps on Sunday :)

~Candace

Swim Class-Continued

Starting something new with a child is always Anxiety-ridden. It's always a million questions going on in my brain..What will the place be like? What will the bathrooms be like? Will I bring enough stuff? What will the people be like? Will he cooperate? Will I have to shit? And the list goes on and on...I am learning better ways of coping with these times..definitely a lot of deep breaths, fake smiles, and keeping my mind off it with other distractions.

Mondays Class was interesting. I found myself putting people into categories...The Dad who is trying to hard and his kid hates it. The Dad who has no clue on what he is doing. The Mom who got forced into this and hates it. The Kid who absolutely hates the water which makes me wonder if they take baths. The Kid who is way too old to be in this class and is bored. And last but not least the Mom who is taking this wayyyy too seriously.

So where do I fit in? Nervous Mervous praying I don't drop my baby in the 5ft deep water? Yea I think that is my category. Anywho this was fun..I sure do love people watching. We had a Mom who wore a latex bathing cap, complete with a wetsuit..I find myself wondering how in the hell did she get that thing on with what looks like a 4mo old with her. I was barely able to keep Drew on the changing table while I changed HIM let alone myself? I just wore my suit to the class...that battle was for another day.

Then there's the Dad who is throwing his kid around and shouting things like "KICK KICK KICK" "YOU CAN DO IT" etc. Ummmm this Dad knows it's Water Babies and not Competition Swim right?! I felt bad for that kid you can tell this isn't what he signed up for in his mind.

So the first day went swimmingly..HA Pun! Drew loved it, he did his whole "EEEEE" excited noise and splashed alot...by the end he was limp in my arms while I floated him around soooo relaxed I was jealous. When is it MY turn??

Wednesdays class was a little more eventful to say the least. AGAIN I thought I was going to try to be more prepared since changing him in the locker rooms was NOT ideal. I put his suit on as we left my Mom's. We pull up and I hear a "Grunt".....THAT can't be good. Maybe it was a toot? Hell no who am I kidding. REALLY DREW?! As I am realizing this I am imagining the items in our "swim bag"...Diapers? No. Wipes? No. Change of clothes? No. WHAT DID I BRING? Shit how am I going to swing this?

I make it into the changing room and put him on the table. Grab the hard-ass papertowels, put some water on them...Then I assess the damage. And boy was it a doozy. God-forbid it be one of those hard stools right?! I do the best I can to clean him up along with rinsing out the remains out of his swim diaper...YUMM The smell alone could knock you on your ass. I feel bad for the poor soul who used the room after us..there was nothing I could do...I was totally unprepared.

At least the pool is heavily chlorinated so the odds of anyone smelling us is out thank god. So I guess from now on I will bring a huge bag of stuff along with not changing him into his swim diaper until we are about 30 seconds from entering the pool..Sheesh.

And in case you were wondering this IS how we look in swim class, my perfectly toned bicep and my hair and makeup done...HA yea right.

~Candace

9mo Check-up and Swim Class!

Oh jesus I know I have been M.I.A. for AWHILE. Apologies readers sometimes Life takes a hold and doesn't let go! Any way I am getting back in the saddle..got my new desk and it's all put together in the bedroom..away from the Kitchen Table so I can focus on what really matters...JUST KIDDING, what really matters is my KID DUH! But yea so I'm hoping it will push me to write a little bit more since it's so close to the bed! The last thing I want to do at night is sit at the kitchen table typing away.

Well SO much has been going on. So much that I totally forgot about Drew's swimming class starting on Monday..So Sunday night when my parents were over for dinner I thought "Oh yea I gotta look up when I need to sign him up for that thing...Oh April 7th"..."When's April 7th" "Oh shit, it's tomorrow!" I ended up calling the park district in a panic to get him in since the next one starts in June and we are already way too busy to put a swim class in there. They were able to get me in..Phew that was a close one.

WAIT! I don't have a freakin' bathing suit! Ahhhh! So my Monday consisted of...Get him up and fed and down for a nap at 10am. I assumed he would sleep til 1045-11 and we could be out on the door to the mall....get a bathing suit and shoes for him...eat lunch there then head to his doctor appt at 2..be back home for dinner then swim class from 6-7...NOPE!

Man Who am I kidding when I think this kid is on any type of schedule?! He ended up sleeping until 1145! So then I gave him his bottle, packed us both up and headed for the mall...Tried on like ten different suits and liked 1. Man this body sucks..I thought my body before was bad?!

We head over to the food court where I get a FREE Jamba juice...yea my good looks! Just kidding! Their CC machine was down and she saw the tears starting in the corner of my eyes since I was realizing that it was this or nothing for lunch...and nothing for lunch...while I am used to it now kind of sucks esp seeing how I was hella busy the rest of the day. So she offered me one for free..Thank YOU kind lady you have saved my stomach from eating itself...oh wait maybe I shouldn't have!

I give him his baby food in the stroller..which I was praying he would take it that way..looked at the clock and realized it was 115....Seriously where does the time go. I really had to pee...but again NO TIME! I slurped up my jamba and headed to the car, time for a quick diaper change which is somewhere along the lines of fighting a Suma Wrestler and a limited-mobility 80yr old man at the same time...NO Your Leg goes there! Off to the doctor.

First time at this doctor and I didn't realize I would be running in a 5K today...I had to park in
Bum-fuck and carry Mr. 20lb sack of dirt all the way into the building, elevator to the 3rd floor and thank my lucky stars the LAST office at the end of the hall...keep in mind I still have to pee..Thank god I've been working out otherwise I prob would have wet myself. I huff and puff while handing her my insurance card and my eyes wander to the chairs...hurry I need a rest!

Well I GET to sit down..as soon as I do Drew wants to take off again..man this kid never stops, at least there is a book shelf w/ books on it because of course he isn't interested in anything I have brought for him. So I let him wander over there while I catch my breath. The door opens and in comes a little boy probably 4mo old. Well time for me to get up...Drew sees him and starts his excited "YEEEEE" crawl over to the boy...he loves kids and I'm not sure why? They exchange little baby hellos. Then he gets called into the office.

Finally we get called in which means it's work time for me again. Get him all undressed. Of course we need to change Mr. Peepants again. Take him over here to get weighed and measured. Explain to the nurse why I am such a good parent..HAHA. Then wait for the Doc...he starts shredding the paper which is pretty normal at this point and anything to keep him content right?! She comes in, I then explain to her why I am such a good parent and she pokes and prods him while he shreds paper. Nurse will be back with two shots and a finger poke..he continues to shred. She comes back I hold him while she does all 3 above items and console him when he lets out a single yell after the first poke. OH no insane sobbing? GREAT!

All done, now get him dressed, get all of our shit amongst the paper shreds. Checkout with the checkout lady. Then carry him all the way back down the hall, in the elevator and out into the cornfields where I parked. The greatest moment was getting to sit in the car...AHH...damnit I still have to pee!

Get home, get him and all our crap out of the car..put cartoons on for like ten minutes so I can pee and catch my breath...Finally! So we kinda chill out until dad comes home and eat some food and pack our swim bag, he didn't really nap since he did little ones in the car to and from the doc and to swimming so I really didn't get a mini rest like I normally do.

Anywho we get to swimming and I realize how IMPOSSIBLE it is to get those little swim diaper plastic things on...HOLY SHIT I needed like a tube of petroleum or something so I could slip him into there. Thankfully I was already in my swimsuit...that battle was for another day. When we get out by the pool he is so fricken excited it actually makes me soooo happy that we did this. Although I could have passed out at any moment seeing him like that was totally worth it! Needless to say after swimming we were both ready to pass out, he got to sleep on the car ride home and I did not.

I have more details on the swim class but that's for another day since this post is super long already! Stay tuned!
~Candace

Recap..I've missed you! Plus New-finds!

Oh my I am a Bad Blogger!! I have an excuse though! Last week was my birthday...O Happy day, yea right we haven't even celebrated it since I had a cold and then Drew caught something over the weekend and Monday started throwing up everywhere...Man that is FUN! So I've been a little busy, smelly, and exhausted. BUT I have some good news..this post is going to be about fun, new gadgets for babes...Which is super exciting especially because that's all I spend my money on these days.

So let's get started..a few weeks ago my Aunt came in to town and had bought Drew a set of Primer books..what is a primer book you ask? Well they don't really have words, it's more for beginning concepts, to get them to understand what weather means, or noises, etc. These books were also made up of our favorite stories like Alice in Wonderland, Jabberwocky, etc. They are the cutest things ever AND they are on Zulily today for a GREAT price, so get your ass on there and buy em up!

Another crazy-awesome baby idea...The Otteroo...now you have to watch the video cuz me just telling you what it is will freak you out. It's an inflatable tube for your child's head so they can float in water..can be used as young as 8 weeks old! Now, would I buy this and use it? Probably not because...babies+water=scares the shit out of me! But it is a very cool concept for those braver than I. See the video HERE

Now that maybe the weather is getting nicer...it is right? You might want to think about getting back into your jogging routine w/ your little one. Well a company I just started hearing about is Baby Jogger, they have a new "system" that allows you to purchase add-ons if you end up having more children so you don't have to go out and buy a double-stroller per say. see HERE and the options are endless, two newborn carries, 1 newborn and 1 regular child seat, two child seats, rear-facing, forward-facing. 16 total configurations...kinda wish I would have seen this one before purchasing mine..ya know, just IN CASE! Very cool.

So another really cool thing that isn't very new...but people who have seen mine have said "where did you get it?" So I thought I should mention it on here. We live in a condo...so not a whole lot of extra room for the baby gadgets, I decided we would get a portable highchair instead of a stand alone and that way it was double duty, here on our kitchen table it's our highchair but we can also bring it places that might not have a highchair OR I can take it down when we have company over. Also I might add that it has a higher back than a normal restaurant highchair so if your kid is in between sitting up sturdy and slouching still a little this is great because it offers extra support at that certain age. I think ours was around $60.

Ok and last but not least...as you are thinking of all those great outdoor activities you are going to do with all the nicer weather we will be having...ErgoBaby came out with a new Performance line..great for going on walks, being outdoors a lot, etc. This thing is amazing, can do 7-45lbs! So no need to buy multiple carries, has 3 carrying positions, and has UV protection and a hood for the little babe head. Also keeps mom/dad/baby extra cool w/ it's lightweight durable design. Don't be scared about the price, this is basically 2 of those other baby-holders combined. See HERE I might be bribing someone very shortly to buy this for me :)

And that's it, weekly roundup of some good finds. Have you found anything worth sharing??

~Candace

The Sickness Strikes Again

Seriously I had no idea my body had the physical capability to be sick this Winter as much as it has. I mean this is Ridiculous, I am NEVER sick and if I am it's like for 2 days then done! I try to eat pretty healthy and keep up my immune system but jesus this winter has been one helluva ride.

And it's so annoying to have a cold and a runny nose with a baby now approaching toddler, like when do I have time to do anything for myself now I have to put "blowing nose" in there, more like wiping nose since I rarely make it to the tissue box in time these days. And not giving it to Drew, Forggetaaboutit. That shit was happening no matter how many bottles of sanitizer I go through, it just does, when you are with someone for 13hrs a day you are bound to catch whatever they have.

So now on top of me feeling like shit, looking like shit, hey maybe even eating shit, I have to deal w/ a child who's nose constantly runs, he's cranky and isn't sleeping well....GRRRREAT, not like I wasn't tired enough now we have to throw waking up a few times in the middle of the night in there! Seriously who up above hates me?

No amount of caffeine is helping me these days when I'm sick, Drew grabbed a piece of papertowel off the couch today and I was so tired I let him have it to see what he would do....he sat there and ripped it into a gazillion pieces, but you know what? It took him like 1/2hr and that 1/2hr I was able to sit on the couch (not the floor w/ him) and actually relax so it was worth it! Dad came home and was like WTH? Hey don't ask questions when my voice is horse, my eyes are watery, my nose dripping but your son is still alive, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Ok that was my short rant, I'm done with winter and being sick..no for real...so stay the eff away from me sickies!

Workout-Schmerkout!

Well I've been going to the gym pretty steady for a few weeks now..and I do say I have noticed a difference, both in how I feel and how my body looks. I finally got over a measley weight threshold that I've had for a few months so that's good, and some of my fat has turned into muscle. So although I'm not droppin hella LB's on the scale I AM noticing a difference in definition.

But like most of the population I would LOVE some immediate gratification, and maybe like 4 weeks to get my body back in the shape pre-baby! Who am I kidding, this would take a whole team of people to get me back that quickly...so that got me thinking...do these companies exist and what would the cost/timeframe be. Would they simply come to your house and kick your ass for an hour plus and then make all your healthy and nutritious meals for you? Would they do all the grocery shopping for those meals? Would they clear out your pantry of all the bad shit? So I decided to do some research and by research I mean google-ing :)

Well I really didn't come to any company specifically advertising a "Complete body after baby diet and exercise regimen" So I'm challenging someone out there to do it! LOL Because us mom's are far too busy with the little one to actually focus on putting this together ourselves, not all of us are like that Maria Kang girl..ha.

What I did find were some at-home personal trainers which I would def. do if I could. Going to and from the gym is probably the hardest part for most people and I dread running on a treadmill, much rather run outside! So for about $1/minute you can hire your own personal trainer that will come to your house and kick your ass for you. This posed another question in my mind, although I HATE driving to the gym they do provide daycare..so what would I do in this case? Well I am fortunate to have a jogging stroller, so I could bring him along for that ride, the rest of the session I would either need help or try to sit him in front of the TV or something? So I advise that new company to come with caregivers also, so if the person needs it the trainer could bring along a nanny for the little one(s). So you figure $60/session 3x's a week=180.00/week

For food, I really couldn't find an at-home nutritionist, or one that would go grocery shopping and prepare meals for you. What I did find was the food delivery service. A lot of them had where you could select what calorie range you are in. The prices are all over the board w/ this one, I found a really nice local one eatfitchicago.com for about $15/day you could pick from a menu and the menu tells nutrition facts on all the items and they will deliver it for you. BUT this one along w/ a few others I found seem to be just making the food and shipping it, so 3 day max in advance they advise which isn't practical at all. More popular names like Seattle Sutton or Nutrisystem come frozen or are easily frozen so you could order a whole shit-ton and be prepared for awhile. Prices range from $15-$60/day depending on if it's all 3 meals or just 2 and if you are doing 5day or 7day. I've had a friend do the Nutrisystem one and she seemed to like the meals.

Total Cost for a month of at-home personal training and food=$1280.00. Son of a nutcracker!

So Ladies, those are our options for now, if anyone wants to lend me a HUGE chunk of money we could get this business started, and then I'm sure quickly following would be the "Comfortable Husband diet" since our men also seem to gain "pregnancy weight".

Here's some motivation for ya ;)

Money Saving Tips for New Moms

With all my new-found freedom of being home (HA!) I have been some what of a Hoarder with our money..haha. Now I feel bad spending money since I'm not making it (even though I'm saving us a lot on Daycare) and now I make every dollar stretch a little more. Here's some ideas that have come to me in the process. And keep in mind your Sanity is Numero Uno priority so if any of this makes you overwhelmed or like you don't have any time for yourself then Nix it! Just some helpful hints and maybe you can walk away with one Ah-ha!

Use your damn mini's! I am a repeat offender of this, buying all these mini shampoos, conditioners, stealing the ones from the Hotel visits for our twice a year vacations..Make sense? NO! So instead of buying Shamp and Cond I've gone through our HUGE Tupperware of mini's and have begun using them, not only is nice to switch it up every now and then but it's great putting these to use, because by the time I get to go on vacation with a little one I won't need 8 mini bottles of shampoo! So use em up!

I'm sure myself along with every other new mom thought making their own babyfood is a moneysaver...well it is and it isn't. Once your baby is old enough to eat straight up pureed table foods then YES it is a money-saver, you can take your dinner that you are about to eat and puree it up so that is good. During the beginning however you have to make certain combinations and cook it up and store it..the storing is where it gets expensive. So if you had like single packets of veggies and fruits ready to cook and then you can use it right then you would be saving money. If you make a huge vat of it like most of us do to save on time..then you have to buy little pouches or jars to keep them in and freeze em up, the ice cube tray didn't work for some of my purees, they wouldn't come out nice and clean so I could throw them in Ziploc bags and be done with it. The cheapest recipes to make are w/ apples, squash, bananas and the more expensive would be recipes w/ avocados, mangos, berries, etc. Now that he can almost eat anything I just buy a huge container of applesauce..Organic, no sugar added, etc. Every morning I give him 2Tbsp of Oatmeal with applesauce and then 1/2 a package of a yogurt/fruit blend babyfood. That way instead of eating the whole package and then some I'm substituting some of it w/ the cheaper applesauce and the Oatmeal as a filler. He is still mostly formula so this doesn't hurt his nutrition at all. Also Cheerios are way Cheaper than Puffs, so I buy both to mix it up but mostly give him Cheerios.

Along the same idea w/ baby products, obviously buying in bulk is a money-saver, Diaper/Wipes..just remember if you are partial to a certain brand they may or may not have them all the time. I've also seen certain formula's at Costco that I didn't even know they carried, they were roughly like $8/cheaper when comparing cost per ounce which is a good savings. Also if you were going to make your own baby food you can get your produce way cheaper there also.

Once your child is around 9mo old if you aren't breastfeeding or can't or whatever the issue may be check with your doc and you can switch the little one to Toddler formula which is about $10 less a can than the regular stuff. I DEF look forward to that in a few weeks!

On a side note, check your home bills...like AT&T has a new share plan that existing customers can use, same plans before but you share your data/talk/text, which if you are already on a fam plan the only difference is sharing your data. I switched ours and will be saving $30/month! For the cable I usually downgrade in the summer when we will either be outside or doing activities so we won't be home so it saves a little during those months.

Baby Re-Sale shops are kinda scary when you first walk in with all the plastic nasty toys, children running around, and the weird smell that permeates. BUT if you have time to look past all that you can find some great deals from there. I got my glider for $75, it was super nasty but we made sure all the parts snapped off and I just needed to throw all of them in the washer and it was like new! Also the clothes...especially for the first few months since they grow so fast! We got brand new clothes with the tags still on for close to nothing! You just have to have the time and energy to focus on the prize! A lot of the stuff is gross and nasty so beware.

Some diaper brands offer points for purchasing their products. Then you start saving all of your points to get other things. Huggies plan was pretty good, I stopped saving them cuz it does get a little ridiculous and having only one child in diapers takes forever to add up all your points. But if you had multiple children in diapers or are just good at saving stuff then this is for you! I think I finally have enough points to get 1 package of diapers for free right now..haha!

Let me know some of your ways you save $$!

~Candace